Local governance expert Mr. Issaka Amon Kotei has opined that the restoration of some national holidays is not a bad idea, but the political influence in restoring these holidays is problematic.
He noted that the previous government scrapped Founder’s Day, which was dedicated to the celebration of the late Dr Kwame Nkrumah as the sole founder of Ghana through the independence struggle, and replaced it with Founders’ Day, which recognises other freedom fighters.
The ruling government, while in opposition, promised to restore July 1 as Republic Day and Founder’s Day and scrap the one introduced by the previous government.
In an interview on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, the expert noted that although the restoration of these holidays was not a bad idea, the politicisation of it was not the best.
“History is important, and if you claim that the late Nkrumah is the key founder of Ghana, you have to justify it. However, when you read most of our history books, there is some justification in them, and they acknowledge that Kwame Nkrumah is the key founder, and so if we recognise him as such, it is not wrong.
There is also the school of thought that there were other persons who helped in helping the country found the country. But the critical question to ask is, Where are these people? What were their contributions? In everything we have to get one leader. In America, Abraham Lincoln is recognised as the founder of the country, although some more other people helped in. In England and Germany, there were some individual personalities credited as those who contributed significantly towards their freedom.”
He also commended the government for the decision to push any public holiday on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday to a Friday, as that will promote productivity.
Mr Kotei posited that in the past, when we had holidays on Monday or any other day aside from a weekend, it affected productivity.
“The decision to push a holiday in a week to Friday was a good decision because when a holiday comes on a Tuesday, it affects productivity, and so pushing it to a Friday is sound and will ensure productivity,” he argued.
He added that we can later have a holistic review of the new changes after we have put them to use, especially with the one that grants the president the power to push a holiday on a working day to Friday.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
